Costa Rica: 240 Pounds of Cocaine Seized from Tour Bus

A tour group returning from an organized shopping trip to Panama got more excitement than they bargained for when border agents found 240 pounds of cocaine hidden on their tour bus. During a routine customs inspection, a drug-sniffing dog located the drugs in a hidden compartment under the aisle. Police swarmed the vehicle and all 27 passengers were questioned by authorities, though not charged. Three tour operators were arrested on suspicion of trafficking narcotics. The amount of cocaine seized in Costa Rica more than doubled in 2012 over the previous year, prompting worries that increased trafficking will begin to affect tourism.